Long Island Abundant Life Church 長島豐盛生命教會
  • Home
  • About Us 關於教會
    • Mission Statement - 使命宣言
    • Statement of Faith - 信仰立場
    • Biblical Marriage - 合乎聖經的婚姻
    • Church Leadership - 教會同工
    • Directions - 路線圖
    • Documents - 表格與文件下載
    • Contact Us - 聯絡我們
    • Ministry openings
  • Chinese Ministry 華語事工
    • 崇拜
    • 講道集 >
      • 主日信息
      • 特會 / 講座
    • 主日學
    • 門訓小組 >
      • 門訓小組介紹
    • 團契
    • 讀經
  • English Ministry 英文事工
  • Youth 少年事工
    • Worship
    • Sunday School
    • Youth Fellowship
    • Events
    • Our Vision
    • Connect with Us
    • Parent Resources
    • Youth Prayer Requests
  • Children's Ministry 兒童事工
    • Children's Worship - 兒童崇拜 >
      • Children's Songs - 歌曲
      • Junior Worship, Archive - 學習內容
      • Junior Worship, Current - 學習內容
      • Preschool Worship, Archive - 幼兒崇拜
    • Sunday School - 主日學 >
      • Preschool - 低年級
      • Middlers, Current - 高年級
      • Elementary, Archive - 高年級
    • VBS-特别暑期聖經班 >
      • EVENTS- 特別活動
    • Nursery - 幼兒照顧
    • Resources - 資源
  • Missions/Evangelism 宣教/佈道
    • Global Mission 全球宣教
    • Missions Ministry 宣教事工
  • Chinese School 中文學校
  • Church Activities / News / Calendar 教會活動 / 消息 / 行事曆
    • Special/urgent 特別/緊急
    • Calendar 教會行事曆
    • Bulletin 週報
    • Archive 檔案 >
      • Pray for Hindus 2018 為印度人禱告
      • Seek God 2019 尋求神
      • Misc. 其他
  • Chinese Student Ministry 学生事工
    • Campus Ministry 校园事工
    • CSF 衣
    • CSF 食
    • CSF 住
    • CSF 行
  • Links 资源鏈接
  Long Island Abundant Life Church 長島豐盛生命教會

John 9:18–41

6/2/2012

 
Click here to read today's passage on Bible Gateway.

Now I See
"This man’s life should be depicted as a hopeless tragedy. While he later shows himself to be spiritually astute, his day-to-day life enjoyed none of the protection or charitable assistance often given to the blind today. We have to forget images of seeing-eye dogs and Braille books. He sat at the roadside and begged. No employment, no prospects for marriage, no social honor. He was at the bottom of the social ladder. His future was bleak and he knew it. He was like the paralytic of chapter 5, only worse. This man’s world had foreclosed on him. There was no social net to catch people like this.
    This hopelessness and darkness provide us with a potent image because John describes men and women without Christ to be in a crisis no less desperate. In 8:12 and 12:35 Jesus refers to those who “walk in darkness,” and this is precisely the condition of the blind. They stumble and get lost. Jesus lifts this image above the commonplace in order to make it a spiritual metaphor for the condition of the world that he has come to remedy.
    The glory of this man’s healing stands in stark contrast with the desperation of his condition. Jesus did not simply give him sight; he gave him life." [1] (emphasis mine)


I love verse 25:

"Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." 

He speaks of his physical healing, but from what we've read in John so far, we know that his words are dripping with further meaning that he doesn't even understand.  Amen!

[1] Gary M. Burge, NIV Application Commentary: John (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 279-80.
Andrei
6/2/2012 04:52:48 pm

While I was looking through this passage, I noticed a few statements and questions that seemed to reek of sarcasm? In verse 27, the man asks the Pharisees if they want to become Jesus' disciples, which is 'reviled.' In verse 30, he declares their attitude 'amazing.' And then in verse 40, the Pharisees ask Jesus if they are 'blind.' I'm guessing they didn't think they were blind when they asked? So I'm not sure if those were all instances of sarcasm, but it made me think. I wonder what has been written about sarcasm in the Bible, if it can accurately be called that?

Greg
6/4/2012 07:17:55 am

There is most definitely sarcasm in the Bible. I'm not sure if there's been a lot written on the topic specifically, but a few cases (other than this one) come to mind:

1 Kings 18: Elijah employs biting sarcasm in mocking the prophets of Baal. Why isn't he responding to them? Elijah suggests that he is busy, or perhaps "on the toilet" (New Living Translation). So funny.

1 Corinthians 4:8-14: Probably my favorite instance of sarcasm. Paul's writing is dripping with it here: "Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.
14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children."

Proverbs has a lot to say about holding your tongue etc, so I think it is important to use sarcasm wisely and sparingly, but it's definitely in the Bible.

Maybe we should write a book together about sarcasm and the Bible....

Andrei
6/4/2012 07:53:48 pm

lol wow interesting examples of sarcasm. Writing a book would be great! You can do all the writing, and I will add photo illustrations of all my pets, such as Eeyore and Duck.


Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.